Sports
College Basketball Picks Against the Spread: Tuesday, December 5 – The Messenger
Here are The Messenger’s picks against the spread for tonight’s top men’s college basketball games. All game times are in Eastern.
Seth Davis’s pick: Getting Coleman Hawkins back was a huge lift for the Illini, which dominated Rutgers at the RAC on Saturday. The 6-foot-10 senior forward missed the previous three games with tendinitis, and though his stats were modest (six points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes), his presence in the lineup made everything flow. Another couple of practices should get him into better shape. FAU looked great last week in big home wins over Liberty and Charleston, but this is a step up in competition. Illinois (+3.5)
Jeff Goodman’s pick: I was just down there in Boca Raton for three days, and I’m not picking against these guys. They have elite guards in Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis, and Vlad Goldin has become one of the best bigs in the country. Gimme the Beach Boys from Boca. FAU (-3.5)
Seth Davis’s pick: The Badgers have been terrific since getting run out of The Dunk in Providence on Nov. 14. Their five straight wins include a 75-64 victory over Marquette at home on Saturday. This is a quick turnaround to hit the road for the Big Ten opener against a team that badly needs a good win after a rough opening month. The Spartans have only played one game since falling to Arizona on Thanksgiving (a home win over Georgia Southern), so they should be primed and ready to make a statement. Michigan State (-3.5)
Jeff Goodman’s pick: I’m going with Seth here and taking Sparty. I’m pretty sure Tom Izzo is undefeated on Peacock. Michigan State (-3.5)
Seth Davis’s pick: I’m a believer in these Sooners, but this is a big point spread. Porter Moser hit the transfer portal in the offseason, and the result is a faster, deeper team that plays tenacious defense (No. 23 in adjusted efficiency per KenPom). Kim English also has a good defensive team (No. 21 in adjusted efficiency), and the Friars are an overtime loss on a neutral court against Kansas State from being undefeated — and probably ranked. They’ll also have the best player on the court in 6-foot-7 junior forward Bryce Hopkins, who is averaging 17.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Providence (+5.5)
Jeff Goodman’s pick: I’m with Seth here. I actually like the money line and the Friars with this one. They have the best two players on the court in Bryce Hopkins and Devin Carter. Providence (+5.5)
Seth Davis’s pick: These are two teams that really need to get right. The Wolverines have lost four of their last five games, most recently a heartbreaking overtime loss at Oregon on Saturday. Sophomore point guard Dug McDaniel is having an All Big Ten-caliber season so far (20.3 points, 5.3 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game), but Michigan’s overall defense has been mighty weak. Fortunately, the Wolverines are facing an equally weak offensive team in Indiana, which is ranked 350th in the country in 3-point shooting (25.0%). The Hoosiers also have an injury issue with senior point guard Xavier Johnson, who sat out Friday’s win over Maryland because of an ankle injury. Michigan (-6.5)
Jeff Goodman’s pick: I’m not sure the Hoosiers win this, but I think they can cover. They have some confidence back after an easy win against Maryland, but the key will be whether they can contain McDaniel. Indiana (+6.5)
Seth Davis’s pick: Welcome to another clash of the titans. UConn almost pulled off the upset over Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse on Friday night, but Cam Spencer missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds. It’s amazing the game was even that close considering Spencer rolled his ankle in the early going and was obviously hobbled. The Huskies are hoping to have freshman guard Stephon Castle available for this game, although after missing six games to recover from knee surgery, his impact will be limited even if he does play. UConn point guard Tristen Newton was phenomenal against the Jayhawks (31 points, six rebounds, two assists), but his Tar Heels counterpart R.J. Davis has been terrific as well this season (20.4 points, 2.9 assists per game). Then there’s the epic duel between UConn’s Donovan Clingan and North Carolina’s Armando Bacot. I like Bacot in this matchup, but I like the Huskies to win the game, if only because Danny Hurley is their coach, and he really, really doesn’t like to lose two games in a row. UConn (-5.5)
Jeff Goodman’s pick: This is one of the best and most intriguing early season matchups. UConn will have the home-court advantage, but I’m going to take the Tar Heels. They have more overall options and weapons right now than the Huskies. North Carolina (+5.5)
Seth Davis: 3-2
Jeff Goodman: 2-3
Seth Davis: 3-2
Jeff Goodman: 2-3